On the Twelfth day of November,  

in nineteen-forty three

William Noble bought a pony,

for William number three.

It was on one Sunday morning

this pony she got clear

so just sit awhile and listen,

This sad story you shall hear.

The pony she was frolicsome,

this unknown to Bill

Has he gentle took her by the mane,

To lead her to the well.

He threw the rope across her neck,

She started out to Jog,

Just as fast as she could gallop

Up across gripe water bog.

Bill he took after her with young Bill on behind,

Then Theodore joined in the chase but he was just in time

to see that pony disappear and go into the woods

Ha Ha now Bill its just as well to give her up for good.

It was later on that evening

when Theodore got back,

Uncle John stood in the door,

with Aunt Martha at his back.

Says Uncle John to Theodore,

what are you doing here?,

why don’t you go and join the chase,

and catch Bill Noble’s mare.

Then Theodore made this reply

my back it is too bad,

for dodds kidney pills now I cannot buy

Since the prices are gone mad.

Says Bill I’ll phone to Middle Arm

for Curiosity

to see what all  my friends up there

can really do for me.

But when he got the answer back,

he found out it was wrong,

There’s a Nag astray up Belgium way,

but to Bill it don’t belong.

Now Uncle John got very mad

and started into swear

how are you to get your firewood

across the bogs and ponds this year

Say’s Bill I’ll go for Wesley,

once more we’ll vamp down

through four miles of mud and water

that leads to Belgium town.

It was on one Thursday evening

much to their surprise

out back of Mr Perry’s

she lay before their eyes.

Bill onto that pony

you get around that shore

and when you lands upon the strand

you’ll get away no more.

Now every man upon the strand

is feeling very good

Young William he feeds the rooster,

 Theodore gets the wood,

 Bill he feeds his pony

on Water, oats and hay,

but he keeps his pipe well out of sight

along gripe water way.

Last year has the story goes

Bill’s drake just had no vim

Bill's luck was very poor or so it seems to him,

It seems his luck is better now it is another year,

Bill’s drake is spry, he got a boy,

and a thirty-dollar mare.

Now let this be a warning

to the man who lives quite near

who also has a pony

in case she may get clear.

When you throw the rope across her back

hold fast it in your hand

because if she stray’s

she will rue your days upon gripe water strand.

By

Gus Rideout & Stan Dwyer